Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe

Updated on January 18, 2011

The following recipe is for home made Pesto Sauce, which you can add to pasta to make a side dish for your main, or have it as a lunch meal.

For our family this is cheaper than buying premade bottles off the supermarket shelves and we find it a fresh and flavorsome alternative. It’s now one of our favorites and hopefully it will become one of your family favorites as well. Please let me know what you think!

Method

Pick the leaves off the Basil stalks and wash. Put these into a container to blend with a hand/stick blender or food processor. Drizzle over the olive oil.

Now blitz the Basil leaves with the stick blender or food processor.

Add the pine nuts and blitz again until smooth. Add the Parmesan Cheese and blend again. Add the lemon juice and stir with a spoon. The lemon juice stops the basil from browning. Finally add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

If you find your mixture is too dry or stiff, add a little more olive oil and stir with a spoon.

You can add the mix to about 500g (1 pound) of cooked pasta. It will save in your refrigerator for a couple of days when covered.

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Comments 13 comments

LeonJane 6 years ago from Australia Author

Thanks anthony it is a great recipe to try. Let me know how you go!

anthony 6 years ago

Looks like a great recipe for me to try with all the basil I have been growing all summer long.

LeonJane 6 years ago from Australia Author

Wow, thanks Mallory! I am glad you made this from my recipe and improvised as well! Good on you and glad you enjoyed it! I think this is a first for me that someone has actually made something from my recipe and let me know that they liked it!

Mallory 6 years ago

...Oh and I forgot to mention I used chopped walnuts instead of pine nuts because that's what I had available. But thanks so much for the recipe!

Mallory 6 years ago

Just made it and it's so yummy! I added a little bit more lemon because I liked how well it went together. Oops I forgot the salt and pepper though but it's still pretty good for my first time.

LeonJane 6 years ago from Australia Author

Thanks eememem!

eememem 6 years ago

sounds good!

LeonJane 6 years ago from Australia Author

Thanks gramarye, thats a good idea to freeze into ice cubes, you can do that with lemon juice as well. Hope you enjoy this version of basil pesto.

gramarye 6 years ago from Adelaide - Australia

This is really similar to one I make, and I freeze it into ice cubes, that way, I have it whenever I want it all year round. Its nice just added to a pasta sauce. Thanks for sharing that, I might try it and see how different it is to mine.

LeonJane 7 years ago from Australia Author

@Montana Farm Girl - hope you enjoyed this Basil Pesto Recipe

@Waren E - it is delicious an refreshing flavor.

@Shalini Kagal - I'll have to give pesto lasagne a try, sounds great.

Shalini Kagal 7 years ago from India

Sounds really delicious and easy to make - thanks! I just love pesto lasagne!

Waren E 7 years ago from HAS LEFT THE BUILDING............

Great recipe,looks rather delicious!

Montana Farm Girl 7 years ago from Northwestern Montana

Yumo!!! So simple, yet I have never made it!!! Now, you have planted the seed...sounds so delish, I will get the ingredients needed and make it for dinner tonight, with a little pasta and french bread! And, I'm bookmarking it too~